Ship&#39;s steering gear



J. R. CLAY;

SHIP'S STEERING GEAR. APPLCATION EILED JULY 981-920.

Pamm Mar. 7, 1922.

v 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

inventor Jficlay a w I y fill-J1 J. R. CLAY.

} SHIP'S STEERING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 9.1320.

308,929, iPatented Mar. 7, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1-74.15. v F/a.2.

.3177. Clay 1 .l. R. CLAY.

SHlPS STEERING GEAR. APPLICATION mzp :uLY 9.1320.

1 40 929 Patented Mar. 7, 1922,

' 3 SHEETS-M15113.

linen/w UNITED STATES JAMES RICHARD CLAY, 0F BI'QUNDELLSANDS, ENGLAND.

SHIPS STEERING GEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patent d M 7 1922 Application filed July 9, 1920. Serial No. 394,978.

(GRANTED UNDER THE rnovrsrons on THE ACT criminal: a, 1921, 41 STAT. L, 1313.) I

Gears, of which the following is a specification.

Thisinvention has reference to mechanism or machmeryused on board ship for steering the shlp, in whlch a locking means or mechanism, operated by theman in charge of the navigation of the ship is employed in connection with the part of the gear operated by the quartermaster, so that the steering gear (which generally is near the bridge or other place of command, whilst the steering engine or machinery proper is near the stern of the ship) is prevented from being moved a way contrary to that received on the steering telegraph receiving instrument from the man in charge, so that mishaps are prevented from taking place by the orders sent, not being carried out.

One of the objects and effects of the present invention is to provide means in addition to thesafety mechanisms of'the above type by which further safety is furnished and further protection is afforded against mis haps due to the mistaken performance or non-performance by the uartermaster, of

the directions or orders transmitted to him from the bridge or other place of command;

whilst a further object is to simplify and improve mechanism or apparatus of the kind referred to, employed in connection with the part of the gear operated by the quartermaster.

In steering gear of the kind to which this invention and type of mechanism is applicable, there is employed. a hand-steering the mechanism is generally in the wheel house; and generally, the wheel is mounted on a column fixed on the deck, having motion transmission gear in it, which extends to the steering engine or mechanlsm, and operates the valve or controlling means'of the steering engine or machinery as stated;

and between this steeringwheel and the motion transmission gearing, there is introduced the locking means of the character specified, by which thewheel isprevented from being moved in the way contrary to the direction or order received from the steering telegraphic apparatus, and which is indicated on the receiving instrument adjacent to the quartermasters gear.

In the present apparatus or mechanism, there is combined with this locking means or mechanism, a tell-tale telegraphic appa-c ratus consisting of a motion transmission means connected with and worked by the locking means or mechanism, and an indieating pointer or meanswhich will be in view of the operator of the transmitting instrument of the steering gear telegraph, whereby when a helm orderor communication is transmitted to the receiving instrument or indicator, there will be shown or indicated on the telegraph transmitting instrument whether the precise operation, re

quired to be performed by the quartermaster has actually been performed by him; audit will also be shown exactly,,the actualnperations of the wheel and thereby'the steernig gear. Preferably, this automatic telltale indicating means 18 combined with the steering telegraph transmitter instrument; and a simple and convenient'form of indi cat' ingmeans may consist of a pointer coin cident with the axis of the telegraph transmission handle, which is operated by the operator of the telegraph." 3 i In the case of telegraphs being of the electric light kind, indications may be effected bya series of electric lamps, which will be put in and out of illumination by the movement of the wheel and the locking mechanism or means; while in the case of moving parts of the telegraph apparatus being operated by electric current, "the connections between the different instruments will consist of electric conductors.

With regard to the locking meansor mechanism, this comprises a notched or toothed wheelfixed on the wheel spindle; two pawls', one on either side, pivoted to a casing of the gearing or mechanism and pressedby springssay in tension'-towards the notch or-tooth wheel 3' a motion wheel or outside elevation with apart of the protecting frame hereinafter described,

' ing's, which illustrate it.

the likeoperat'ed from the'transmitter of the telegraph operated by the commander or other; and a cam carried by the said wheel or the like, and operating in connection with the pawls or rollers on the ends of them, whereby when the Wheel or thelike' is "revolved bythe telegraph, the cam piece will allow one of the 'pawls to engage with the notch "wheel, the other being kept out; and

thus according to which pawl is in "gear with the notch wheel, so will be alone permitted the direction in which the steering gear hand; wheel is desired to be moved.

.Th'is cam devicamay consist of a baror extending in a circular form round the chain or like wheel which is open ated by the telegraph transmitter operated by 'thecoinmanderor other. l g, V

The invention W1ll' b6 fHI'i/l1(31 described with reference to'the accompanying drawin I a 'lis afrontlelevatron of the quartermfastefs apparatus day which the valve or controlling gear o f the fpo wer st'eeiiiig gear is operated; Figure 2 s a sectlonalelevatlon ofsame; and F gure broken away. Figure lisa side elevation showing in diagram the whole installation or steering mechanism. I

Referring ,to the drawings, 1 generally lreprese'nts the transmitting instrument ment 2; this instrument being H posed relatively tothe instrument-,2. '7 I The wheel 5v of the pawl actuating IllQQhf' whichlis op er ated by the commandenor other, 2is the quartermasters steering engine controlling gear instrument, and-'3 is the, indicator or receiving.instrument operated the transmitter l, which indicates the orders which the quart'ermaster hajs tol carry out by the operationof the instrusuitably 'dis- .1 anism ofthe instrument 2 is operated from the transmitter 1-'say through a chain as indicated'bythe dot and dash lines in ;Fig-

urea; and the part otthis chain which passes up over the wheel 5 is designated 6; andthe indicating instrument 3 is also similarly operated from the transmitter 1 by chain or the like, the, part leading to the ina strument being designated 7, which actuates a pointer 13*.

The reply or telltale indication to the commander fromthe actualoperation otthe instrument2 byfthe quartermaster,,iseffected by a wh'eellO operated, by "the mechanism of; instrument 2 as hereinafter described, through a chain 11, which passes to the instrument 1, and operates a tell-tale pointer 12, so 'thatfit will show exactlythe actual operationsof the wheelof the instrument 2, and thereby the steering gear.

The operation 1 off the instrument 2 by the quartermaster also actuates a pointer or infore described.

dicator 3 in the instrument'3,such pointer being moved by a connecting chain similar to 7 from the wheel 10.

It will be understood that in all cases instead of chains or cords being used to transniit motion from instrument to instrument, --rods, rotary shafting and gear wheels, or the like, :may be employed. 7

Withregard to the locking meansor mechmishaps-area by the wheel 2, and the operation ofthereply or tell-tale mechanism "and its steering wheel 10, "these" will be now described with reference mainly to Fig: ures l to 3. I

The 'hub of the wheel 5 is 'moiinted freely by a ball bearing'on the sleeve bearing; 13 as shown, which is formed on the inside of 7 plate 14, which connectstwo members of. a

siippoi tingstand or frame 15, which eiitjids "up fromthe base, aiid also overthe wheelf5,

an open vspace being formed in this name betweenedgeotthe plate 14 -and the lower inner, edge of the angle name 15. Thus the, wheel '5 can be revolved freely r'ou nd 'its bearing '13 "by its chain.

The notched or tooth wheel isdesighated 17, and ismoiinted and fixed in the case by a pin 19; and the boss of this wheel 17 vpasses through the bearing 13 as seen, and the hand wheel proper 20, is, moiintetl 'on'the shown, on the hand'wheel operating shaft 18 outer end of th eshaft 18 which p'as'se's'finto the interior of the head-21 of thei'nstru'nient 2, and operates the steering gear valve actuating or controlling mechanism through say a rotary shaft 22,Which'eiitends to the i alve gear'of 'the' steering engine or machine in the 'known way; and {the operation of this gear and degree *ofv'its moti'on can be indicated upon a-dial on the u per -rac'e plate oi-the head 21, over which a pointer 23 moves, it

being actuated by the gear within 21 'in. the

jknown way; this indication being addition to the indication the pointer 39 he The pawls which operate in connection plate 1d, and "thjeyar'e normally pressed 'towards the notched wheel by springs 26. The noses 27 of the pawls 24: are permit- "ted to'enter attaches otthe whee-1 17 (see right hand'o f Figure 1) wer held "out f these notches by a cam 28, which may be cast on or attached tox the "arms -of the wheel 5. .7

hen an order is transmitted to the -'instrument 2, and it is required that-the wheel 2Q should be turned to the right hand, after it having'been turnedto the-left and the cam 28 stands 'in the position shown in Figure 1, the inclined end of thecam will actonthe roller 30 055 the right hand pawhand lift thispawl nose out of'the notched wheel, thus freeing the notched wheel, which being fixed on jthe shaft 18 enables this shaft to be turned by the hand wheel 20, and the valve or controlling mechanism of the steering gear to be operated in one direction, namely, in the right direction according to the order transmitted to the quartermaster.-

The -means of actuating the tell-tale pointer 12 of the transmitter 1, through the wheel 10 and chain 11,consists of a pin 32 on the face of the notched wheel 17 which operates a notched wheel 33 once every revolution of the wheel 17 this notch wheel 33 being carried on a screw pin 3a supported at one end in the plate 14, into which it is screwed, and at the other in a plate 35, which is secured in position by this pin 34 and screws 36 screwed into the ends of the pins which support the pawls 24-; the wheel 10 itself being fixed to the wheel 33.

Thus the tell-tale pointer 12 is moved intermittently by this pin 32 and notched wheel 33; and between these movements by the pin 32, the notch wheel 33 will be held by the disc 37 fixed or formed on the face of the wheel 17, the periphery of the disc lying within the concave contact faces 38 of the parts of the wheel 33 between the notches.

In case it is desired to hold the pawls 24 out of engagement with the notch wheel 17,

or either of them, this can be effected by means of the hand pawl levers 40 carried by pins from the frame or casing 15, the short or inner arms of which act on projections ll on the pawls, whereby when a lever 40 is moved up by its handle into the upper position, the ends of this lever acting on the part 41, will move the pawl 24; outwards and free it from the wheel 17; and owing to the shape of the hand levers 46 and the position of these parts relatively to their pivots, and pawl projections 41, the pawls 2 1 will be held in this position to which they have been so moved. The limit of movement of the hand levers 40 is effected by stops 42.

In some cases the indicator or pointer operated by the telegraph transmitter 1, and the indicator or pointer operated by the wheel 20 and instrument 21, may be directly mounted on or combined with the latter instrument, so as practically to be in one therewith 5 and in such a case, as in the case shown in the drawings, one of the pointers or indicators would be moved by the transmitter 1, when operated, and ,the other would be moved by the mechanism of the instrument 21 when the handle 20 is operated.

lVhatis claimed is 1- 1. A ships safety steering apparatus com prising in combination, a telegraph transmitting instrument, a reply indicator connected therewith, a hand operated steering machinery controlling instrument comprising means operated by the transmitting instrument for automatically locking and pre venting the controlling instrument from being operated in one direction, and allowing it to be operated in the other direction at will, according to the operation of the transmittin instrument, an indicator connected with the controlling instrument adapted to be operated by the transmitting instrument, and an indicator connected with the. said controlling instrument adapted to be operated by the latter, motion transmission means between the transmitting instrument and the controlling instrument and its indicator, and motion, transmission means between the controlling instrument, and the indicator connected therewith; substantially as set forth.

2. In safety steering apparatus, the combination in the hand operated instrument which controls or actuates the rudder operating engine or machine, of a wheel operated by the steering telegraph transmitting instrument, a cam on said wheel, a notched wheel on the shaft of the hand operated instrument, and pawls adapted to operate alternately in connection with the notched wheel, and to'be operated alternately according to the direction of motion of the cam wheel and cam; substantially as set forth.

3. Safety steering apparatus comprising a steering telegraph instrument, a hand operated mechanism for actuating or controlling the steering engine or machine and comprising a hand wheel, a notched wheel and pawls, pawl operating means on a wheel connected by suitable connections and operated from the transmitting instrument, and means operated by the hand wheel connected with and adapted to operate an indicator device; substantially as set forth.

at. In a safety steering apparatus, the combination of a hand wheel 20, a shaft 18 on which it is mounted, a wheel 5 loosely mounted on said shaft, a cam 28 on such wheel, a notched wheel 17 fixed on the shaft 18, and pawls 2% operating in connection with and controlling the movement of the notched wheel, and adapted to be operated by the said cam; substantially as set forth.

5. In a safety steering apparatus, the combination of a hand wheel 20, a shaft 18 on which it is mounted, a wheel 5 loosely mounted on said shaft, a cam 28 on such wheel, a notched wheel 17 fixed on the hand wheel shaft- 18, pawls 2t operating in connection with and controlling the movement of the notched wheel a notched wheel 33 having concave faced portions 38 and notches between them, a disc wheel 37 and tooth 32 revolving with the axle 18, and adapted to operate respectively in connection with the concave portions 33 of the wheel 33, and the notches between these parts 38; and a wheel 10 connected with and revolved by the wheel substantially as set forth.

6. In a safety steering apparatus, the combination of a hand wheel 20 mounted on a shaft 18, a wheel 5 loosely mounted on said "shaft; a czim *28 on "such Wheel, a notched In testimony whereof I have Sign'd "my "Wheel 17 fixed b'n the hand Wheel "shaft 1 8, name to this specification in the presence of paiivls 24 0prding in connection with and fwosubsctibing Witnesses.

'dontrolling the movement of the notched. JAlvIES RICHARD'CLAY. 5 wheelfand atippolt ingfmme l5suppOrf-ing Vitxiesss: v

the pzmrl's 24, and extending over the Wheel CLI'FFORD LAYTON,

5 subsfiantiallya s set fdrth. SHELAGH DONALDSON. 

